Crying taxi driver handed 21-year jail sentence for raping schoolgirl

Despite his desperate pleas for leniency, a 31-year-old taxi driver, who cried uncontrollably, was on Wednesday sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for raping an underage girl.

Sahadeo Pooran, also called “Omesh,” of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was found guilty of the offence earlier this month by a jury. He returned to court on Wednesday for presentation of probation report, victim impact statement, and sentencing, as well as plea in mitigation.
The charge against him stated that on September 27, 2019, in the country of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration of a 12-year-old girl. It was reported that, on the day in question, the girl left home for school, and was standing on the road waiting on a taxi to take her to the road head, where she would then take a minibus to school. During that time, Pooran drove up to the girl and offered her a “free drop”.
The girl boarded the car and sat in the front passenger seat. There were two other persons in the vehicle at the time. After dropping off the two passengers, Pooran took the girl to his residence, where he forced her into the house. He locked the 12-year-old girl inside of the house while he went to drop off someone else. The girl tried to escape, but all the windows had wooden bars, and the doors were also locked.
Pooran returned one hour later, placed a mattress on the ground, raised the girl’s uniform, and raped her. After he finished the act, he told the girl to tell her teacher she was late for school because the vehicle reached in an accident.
The girl boarded a bus and went to school, where she told the teacher the lie. Her mother was summoned to the school, but did not believe her story. The girl finally told her teacher what actually happened. As such, a report was made, and the taxi driver was arrested and charged. He was subsequently released on bail.
During that time, whenever he saw the little girl on the road, he would tell her, “Yuh like talk”, and hurl insulting remarks at her.

“I’m very sorry”
State Prosecutor Nafeeza Baig urged the court to impose a sentence that reflects the serious nature and prevalence of the offence. According to the prosecutor, although found guilty by a jury of his peers, Pooran continued to maintain his innocence.

Prosecutor Baig asked the court to consider the fact that Pooran had taken away the child’s innocence, and also to consider the psychological effects the incident has had on her.
Pooran’s lawyer Euclin Gomes, on the other hand, asked the court to temper justice with mercy. The lawyer pointed out that his client is a first-time offender whose reputed wife is expecting their first child.
The convicted rapist cried uncontrollably. When asked by the judge if he had anything to say before sentence was passed, Pooran begged for leniency while maintaining his innocence.
“I’m very sorry, I’m very sorry,” Pooran cried as he pleaded for mercy. He went on to tell the court that he is the sole breadwinner for his family, and that he is tasked with caring for his elderly parents: his father, who is differently-abled, and his mother, who is described as being “sickly.”

Breached position of trust
For her part, Justice Barlow, in arriving at the appropriate sentence for the sex offender, considered the submissions made by the prosecutor. The judge also noted the victim’s age and the manner in which Pooran had committed the offence. In doing so, she reminded that he had locked the minor in his house and had ensured that she had no way of escaping. According to Justice Barlow, the taxi driver had breached a position of trust, since persons would entrust him to transport their children to and from school.
In the end, the Judge noted that there were no mitigating factors in favour of the convict. As such, she imposed the 21-year prison term on him, and ordered that he undergo counselling for sex offenders.
This trial was heard at the High Court in Demerara.